The Full Nerd: Nvidia shows off how AI NPCs can revolutionize gaming

“AI” is the buzzword for just about everything this year. Nvidia is probably the biggest benefactor of the AI trend, but it’s not content to sit on its laurels and sell billions of dollars in silicon. The company’s newest developer tool, the Avatar Cloud Engine, could help game devs make non-player characters in a fraction of the time it takes today.

On PCWorld’s The Full Nerd podcast, Nvidia Senior Product Manager Seth Schneider joins Adam and Will to show off this remarkable tech. The Avatar Cloud Engine (ACE) goes beyond standard text and voice simulation to allow developers to customize NPCs with a range of contextual actions, giving each one a custom-tailored personality that reacts to the in-game environment.

The Covert Protocol playable demo showcases these completely AI-driven characters. And while you need to apply to get into the early access program for ACE from Nvidia and its partner Inworld, the company plans to release the source code for the demo in the near future.

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